2022 saw a surge in strikes, with 374 strikes starting in 2022, an increase of 39 percent, and the NLRB reported an uptick in union election petitions of 53 percent in Fiscal Year 2022.
Approval of unions is at the highest point since 1965, according to a 2022 Gallup poll, with 71 percent of Americans approving of labor unions.
In January 2022, over 8,000 Kroger workers in Colorado went on strike as the grocery chain saw record profits during the pandemic.
Among the biggest stories of the labor movement this year is the explosion of union organizing at Starbucks in the face of aggressive opposition by the company, of which billionaire Howard Schultz returned as CEO as the number of Starbucks stores winning union elections boomed from a single store in Buffalo, NY in December 2021 to over 270 stores by the end of 2022. During that time, Starbucks Workers United have filed numerous unfair labor practice charges against Starbucks as the company has been dragging out bargaining a first union contract with workers.
Starbucks workers have held numerous major strikes throughout 2022 over unfair firings, cuts to hours, dragged out bargaining, store closures, and safety issues.
Working conditions deteriorated at Starbucks during the pandemic as workers started organizing the first Starbucks union at a corporate run store in 2021
Starbucks workers in New York are organizing to form first US union | US unions | The Guardian
‘This is a national movement’: union drives surge at US Starbucks stores | Starbucks | The Guardian
Union drive at Manhattan roastery shows spirit of Starbucks workers | Starbucks | The Guardian
Revealed: Starbucks fired over 20 US union leaders in recent months | Starbucks | The Guardian
Starbucks workers hold strikes in at least 17 states amid union drive | US unions | The Guardian
Workers at over 100 US Starbucks stores strike on ‘Red Cup Day’ | Starbucks | The Guardian
At UPS, workers represented by the Teamsters have been ramping up the pressure on UPS ahead of their contract expiration set for August 2023 with demands to increase pay for part-time workers
Amazon workers at JFK8 in Staten Island, NY won a historic union election, the first Amazon warehouse to unionize in the US. Amazon has tried to overturn the results, unsuccessfully, as the union has faced staunch opposition from the company in efforts to expand and win a first union contract. Amazon Labor Union lost subsequent elections at LDJ5 in Staten Island and at a warehouse outside of Albany, NY. Union organizing campaigns at Amazon are underway at an Air Hub outside of Cincinnati, a warehouse in Shakopee, MN, and a warehouse in North Carolina. Amazon Labor Union pulled a petition from a warehouse outside of Los Angeles, California, but are working on being able to refile soon.
‘The model is listening’: union’s win at Amazon hatched in a small apartment | Amazon | The Guardian
Every few months or so, a labor story explodes into the mainstream, where everyone is suddenly a labor reporter and the railroad strike threats at the end of 2022 was one of those stories. Workers have been fighting against labor cuts and grueling working conditions and schedules as railroad carriers have made record profits in recent years to the tune of billions of dollars.
‘Completely demoralized’: US railroad workers pushed to the brink | US unions | The Guardian
48,000 academic workers throughout the University of California went on strike at the end of 2022, the largest strike in the history of US higher education, and won tentative agreements (postdocs/researchers have approved their agreement, other workers are currently voting on theirs)
University of California workers continue strike amid threat of arrests | US unions | The Guardian
Fast food workers in California won a historic bill, AB257, which paves the way for creating a fast-food industry council with worker representation. Workers are currently fighting back against fast food corporations’ efforts to try to overturn the bill through a voter referendum.
Two Trader Joe’s stores unionized this year, with another store in Louisville seeking to join them, as the company has been fighting unionization efforts
Workers at Apple stores have faced similar opposition after workers at 2 stores won union elections this year
15,000 nurses in Minnesota went on a brief strike and won a new contract after threatening to strike again
Minnesota nurses’ strike vote puts safety and conditions in spotlight | US healthcare | The Guardian
2023 is set for another big year for the labor movement as the NLRB is still in dire need of adequate funding and resources, big contracts at companies like UPS, GM, and Caterpillar are set to expire, and the gap between corporate profits/executive pay and wages continues to rise
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